Ghost Towns of Washington: Redmond's Nike Missile site

The fourth installment of a visual series exploring Washington state's numerous ghost towns and surrounding mysteries. (Click lower right of first image for enlarged viewing)

By By JORDAN STEAD

Photo: JORDAN STEAD/SEATTLEPI.COM

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Abandoned by the U.S. Army and overtaken by nature, a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site slowly rots into the earth Tuesday, March 25, 2014, in Redmond, Wash. During the Cold War, the nuclear-tipped missiles at these sites were America's last defense by an attack from Soviet bombers or missiles. The Army decommissioned the site in 1974. The Lake Washington School District owns the site, as it was previously used by the Lake Washington Vocational Technical Institute, now the Lake Washington Institute of Technology, when that institution was under the purview of Lake Washington School District, pre-1991. Portions of the site have been converted into "Nike Park." less

Abandoned by the U.S. Army and overtaken by nature, a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site slowly rots into the earth Tuesday, March 25, 2014, in Redmond, Wash. During the Cold War, the nuclear-tipped missiles ... more

Photo: JORDAN STEAD, SEATTLEPI.COM

Abandoned by the U.S. Army and overtaken by nature, a former Nike... Photo-6098762.83048 - seattlepi.com

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Leafy tendrils work through the man-made structures of a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site. There were more than a dozen such sites in Washington, protecting Seattle, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane. The Lake Washington School District owns the site in Redmond. less

Leafy tendrils work through the man-made structures of a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site. There were more than a dozen such sites in Washington, protecting Seattle, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and ... more

Photo: JORDAN STEAD, SEATTLEPI.COM

Leafy tendrils work through the man-made structures of a former... Photo-6098772.83048 - seattlepi.com

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Paint peels from the walls of a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site in Redmond. Once this site and the soldiers who worked there were the last line of defense against a Soviet attack.

Paint peels from the walls of a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site in Redmond. Once this site and the soldiers who worked there were the last line of defense against a Soviet attack.

Photo: JORDAN STEAD, SEATTLEPI.COM

Paint peels from the walls of a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile... Photo-6098774.83048 - seattlepi.com

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A view of one of three remaining buildings at a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site in Redmond.

A view of one of three remaining buildings at a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site in Redmond.

Photo: JORDAN STEAD, SEATTLEPI.COM

A view of one of three remaining buildings at a former Nike Site... Photo-6098775.83048 - seattlepi.com

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Graffiti and splattered paint adorns the barren walls of a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site. There were at least 10 such sites in the Seattle area.

Graffiti and splattered paint adorns the barren walls of a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site. There were at least 10 such sites in the Seattle area.

A view of the outside of one of three remaining buildings at a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site in Redmond.

A view of the outside of one of three remaining buildings at a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site in Redmond.

Photo: JORDAN STEAD, SEATTLEPI.COM

A view of the outside of one of three remaining buildings at a... Photo-6098777.83048 - seattlepi.com

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Burned, tattered newspapers pile up on a desk within a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site.

Burned, tattered newspapers pile up on a desk within a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site.

Photo: JORDAN STEAD, SEATTLEPI.COM

Burned, tattered newspapers pile up on a desk within a former Nike... Photo-6098779.83048 - seattlepi.com

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An expanse of mossy floor in the former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site.

An expanse of mossy floor in the former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site.

Photo: JORDAN STEAD, SEATTLEPI.COM

An expanse of mossy floor in the former Nike Site S-13/14 missile... Photo-6098778.83048 - seattlepi.com

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Discarded items, such as this IBM typewriter, rusts in the former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site Tuesday in Redmond, Wash. The Lake Washington School District owns the site and once used it for the district's NEVAC work study programs. less

Discarded items, such as this IBM typewriter, rusts in the former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site Tuesday in Redmond, Wash. The Lake Washington School District owns the site and once used it for the district's ... more

Photo: JORDAN STEAD, SEATTLEPI.COM

Discarded items, such as this IBM typewriter, rusts in the former... Photo-6098790.83048 - seattlepi.com

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Paint peels from collapsed doors at the entrance of a bathroom in a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site.

Paint peels from collapsed doors at the entrance of a bathroom in a former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site.

Photo: JORDAN STEAD, SEATTLEPI.COM

Paint peels from collapsed doors at the entrance of a bathroom in a... Photo-6098782.83048 - seattlepi.com

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Light filters through holes in the ceiling, illuminating a spray-painted mirror in the former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site.

Light filters through holes in the ceiling, illuminating a spray-painted mirror in the former Nike Site S-13/14 missile site.